The essentials of Vietnam

You will be greeted by your driver upon arrival at the airport of Hanoi. You will be driven to your hotel where you will meet one of our member. It would be the perfect occasion to exchange and eventually ask questions. After settling in at your accommodation, depending on your arrival time, you can walk around in the streets of Hanoi, in order to realize the mix of traditions and modernity, well preserved and emphasized in this city. Dinner at your leisure.

You are ready to commence your journey. Our chauffeur will pick you up from the hotel around 08:00hrs to explore the capital of Vietnam. Our first stop will be Ba Dinh Square where the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh is situated. Ho Chi Minh was a communist revolutionary leader who later became the Prime Minister and President to the nation. Our next stop will be Pagoda of Tran Quoc and the Temple of Literature. This is the very first university in the country.
Refresh yourself with lunch at a local restaurant.
After lunch you will visit the magnificent ancient Citadel and Hoan Kiem Lake which is known to be the lake of the Replaced Sword. Next we will visit the temple of Ngoc Son followed by a cyclo ride through the alleys of the Old Quarter which is the heart of the city. You'll discover the heartbeat of the city, difficult to find elsewhere in the country.
To conclude your enjoyable day, we will transfer you to the train station to take the overnight train to Lao Cai, sharing a 4 berths cabin. Dinner at your leisure.

You will arrive at Lao Cai train station by dawn, where you will be transferred to a hotel room to rest and refresh yourself with breakfast and a shower.
We will start trekking through from Sapa to Suoi Ho around 09:00 Hrs. This is a valley which is close to the city, where its originial tribal inhabitants still maintain their old way of life. The 2 hour trek through the hills takes us through a couple of Hmong minority villages and the village of Ma Tra, home of the Dzo Roja ethnic group.
Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
Return to Sapa by car. Spend the evening and dinner at your leisure. Spend night in Sapa.

Start a short walk through the Muong Hoa Valley, cross Y Linh Ho village where the H'mong Negro ethnic minority lives, then Lao Chai village, surrounded by impressive rice terraces, and continue to Ta Van village where you can encounter the Dzay ethnic minority. Stop for lunch in a local house. This sharing moment will give you the opportunity to learn more about this minority.
Upon return, free time in Sapa. We recommend visiting Sapa Central Market and walking up to the top of the hill for tremendous view of the whole area. We will return to Lao Cai to take the train back to Hanoi. Overnight in a private cabin with 4 bunk beds. Dinner at your leisure.

Our chauffeur will pick you up upon arrival at Hanoi train station between 04:45 Hrs-05:15 hrs and transfer you to a hotel for an early check-in. Refresh, have breakfast and then get ready for the cruise. Around 08:30 hrs, you will be driven towards the Tonkin Gulf across the Nothern Red River Delta.
Embark on your cruise through Halong Bay for one night where you will enjoy delicious Vietnamese seafood. "Ha Long" was initially named as "Luc Hai" or "Blue Sea" on the ancient Annamese maps, but it is more commonly known as "Ha Long" after a legend about a dragon that came down from the sky to direct the water currents. Lunch and dinner on the junk. Overnight on board.
Note: The itinerary may vary depending on the cruise company.

Activities and brunch in Halong Bay in the morning, before returning to Tuan Chau port where your driver will transfer you back to Hanoi to enjoy the afternoon. Transfer to take the domestic flight to Hue. Overnight in Hue.

The city of Hue, the former imperial Capital of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) is a time machine which takes you back to ancient times in Vietnam.
Our chauffeur will pick you up at your hotel around 08:00 hrs to visit Tu Duc, Khai Dinh & Ming Mang Emperors' tombs. On the way, we will stop by villages well-known for making the best conical hats and incense in the entire country. Stop for lunch then visit the imperial Citadel of Hue and its purple forbidden city. To conclude the day, we will visit the pagoda of Thien Mu located on The Perfume river bank where we will take a boat ride to enjoy the sunset. Evening and dinner at your leisure. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast, you will be driven towards Hoi An, but first you will stop in Danang to see the Marble Mountains.
Enjoy your lunch in a local restaurant in Hoi An. After reaching the hotel, you will be able to explore the charming city of Hoi An at your leisure. Overnight in Hoi An. Dinner at your leisure.

Enjoy your day in Hoi An at your leisure. Later in the afternoon, you will be taken to the airport for your domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, you will be driven to your hotel. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh. Dinner at your leisure.

At 08:00Hrs: The shuttle bus will pick you up to transfer to Cai Be. Between 10h30-11h00 we will take you to the banks of Mekong delta in Cai Be. Embark Le Cochinchine with a welcome drink and enjoy scenic views of rural delta life. Stop for a bike ride at Cai Thia islands. Return by boat. Lunch on Le Cochinchine while sailing to the cute, picturesque town of Sa Dec known for French novelist Marguerite Duras.
Upon arrival, we will visit the house of Huynh Thuy Le, the house of the lover of Marguerite Duras, famous for its architecture. Then, transfer to the floriculture village and Caodaism temple. Then it's time for a foot massage on the boat with an exotic drink prior to dinner. Dinner and night on board.

Start off another delighful day contemplating sunrise while having breakfast on board. Our boat cruises again towards Cai Be along the Mekong. Explore the floating market on a boat at Cai Be, followed by a visit to local coconut and rice sweet factories. Visit the former Imperial residence, surrounded by fruit orchards where the survivals of the Kiet family live. They will receive us with tea.
Disembark at Cai Be harbour around 11:00Hrs concluding the cruise.
Back to Ho Chi Minh City. Afternoon and dinner at your leisure.

Free time to explore on your own or go shopping. At the stated time, transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport to take the flight back home.